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Description:
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This dissertation addresses the problems inherent in cross -cultural technical communication of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM ) . It differs from previous similar works in that , for the first time , it approaches the problems of cross -cultural technical communication from a multi -disciplinary perspective . The author holds that complicated challenges in cross -cultural technical communication need to be studied in a multidimensional context because cross -cultural technical communication is concerned with different fields . The author uses combined qualitative research methods—interviews , a survey , and text analysis—to critique a web site designed to explain TCM to Western audiences . He uses theories from the fields of rhetoric , linguistics , cross -cultural communication , technical editing , translation , and document design to analyze the shortcomings of the web page . Then he suggests ways in which the page could be modified to better serve its audience . These are some of the problems the author identifies : inappropriate discourse patterns ; common language errors in sentence structures and word choice ; inappropriate and erroneous translations , such as overtranslation , undertranslation , mistranslation , inconsistency , and awkward language ; editing weaknesses in typography , graphics , and text ; and document design problems . Together with possible solutions suggested , this analysis is a practical guide to those who are studying or pursuing cross -cultural technical communication . The findings and principles the dissertation discussed are also applicable to other types of cross -cultural communication |